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Box Box! F1 Crash Course

answering @powerful-owl's and @f1-primers's calls for more f1blr primers, i present to you my beginner's guide to f1 (inspired by everything i've ever found myself explaining to friends and family)

(note for posterity: this was originally written in 2022, and revised in 2023)

What is Formula 1?

Formula One racing is governed and sanctioned by a world body called the FIA − “Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile,” or the International Automobile Federation. The name “Formula” comes from the set of rules that the participating cars and drivers must follow.

The regulations allow for enough leeway within their parameters for the engineers to approach the car’s design with innovation and creativity. As a result, though they may look similar, each car is unique. Combined with the different engine manufacturers, you get 10 cars of varying competitiveness. 

In short, “the Formula” is the same for all, but the interpretation of it is rather different from team to team.

A common example of how different interpretations of the rules can directly correspond to lap time is the Brawn GP double diffuser. 2009 saw a major regulation change, which often reshuffles the order. However, no one was expecting a team on the brink of folding at the end of 2008 to emerge multiple seconds faster in pre-season testing.

The most obvious visual differentiator on the Brawn car was its double-decker diffuser. The new regulations had intended to strip the cars of downforce by reducing the size of the diffuser, but a loophole was left open that allowed for a second diffuser to be built into the crash structure of the car. The innovative Brawn double diffuser, which was found to be compliant with the regulations, is often credited with why Brawn GP won the 2009 Constructors Championship.

On the other hand, innovation can also be a team’s downfall. When the regulations were once again overhauled in 2022, Mercedes raised eyebrows with its “zero sidepod” design. Unfortunately for the Silver Arrows, the zero sidepod concept proved to be the wrong decision, and the team that won 8 constructors championships in a row from 2014-2021 has struggled to regain their once dominant form, after finally abandoning the zero sidepod design in early 2023. 

The minimum total distance of a Grand Prix race must be 300 km or 190 miles. This is the standard distance for all races except for the Monaco GP, which is 260 km or 160 miles.

Every F1 car is composed of two main components − the chassis and the engine.

Chassis − Formula One cars these days are made from carbon fiber and ultra-lightweight components. The weight must be not less than 798 kg or 1,759 lbs, including the driver and tires, but excluding the fuel. The dimensions of a Formula One car are a maximum of 5.63 m in length, 2 m wide, and 95 cm tall. 

Engine − Since the regulation changes of 2014, all F1 cars must deploy 1.6 liter turbocharged V6 engines. For this reason, 2014 marks the start of the “turbo hybrid era” - which Mercedes dominated until the 2022 regulation overhaul.

The Teams and Championships

Each F1 season features two different championships: the Constructors’ Championship and the Drivers’ Championship. 

Constructors are people or corporate entities which design key parts of F1 cars that have competed or are intended to compete in the FIA World Championship. Since 1981, it has been a requirement that each competitor must have the exclusive rights to the use of certain key parts of their car – in 2018, these parts were the survival cell, the front impact structure, the roll structures and bodywork. 

Essentially, the Constructor must own the IP to the chassis. Think “Constructor” = “team.”

Works Team: the traditional definition of a “works team” is a manufacturer that builds its own car and engine.

Everyone else is a customer team sourcing the engine from a third party.

The 2023 engine suppliers & teams (* indicates a works team):

*Red Bull and Alpha Tauri ran Honda engines in 2021. Red Bull and Honda came to a deal that allowed Red Bull (and Alpha Tauri, its sister team) to use Honda IP in 2022 after Honda announced its departure from F1. Beginning in 2023, Red Bull Powertrains took full responsibility for all manufacturing and servicing of the engines. Red Bull Powertrains currently works alongside Honda on the engines and will continue to do so until the end of the 2025 season when the next generation of engines will be introduced.

Racing Terms

The Racing Line

For each car on each track in each condition there is an ideal path or “racing line.” Getting closest to it gives you the fastest lap time. Missing the ideal spot during any phase of turn by millimeters is a “mistake.”

Oversteer

Generally, oversteer is when a car turns more than the driver intends it to. The visible results of oversteer can include the tail sliding out or a full spin. Oversteer occurs when the rear wheels lose traction before the fronts. Whenever a driver seems to suddenly steer in the wrong direction mid corner, it’s pretty likely it’s an oversteer moment.

Understeer

Understeer is when a car turns less than commanded by the driver, resulting in the car traveling wide. Occurs when the front wheels lose traction before the rears.

Wheelspin

Happens when the engine tries to spin the tires faster than the grip of the circuit permits – they just spin in place. Common on starts because tires are cold so grip is low.

Lock up

When too much force is applied to the brakes, it causes the brake disc to stop or rotate slower than the car's motion. The tire then scrapes along the surface of the track as the car is still carrying momentum - this causes white smoke and ruined tires (i.e., a flat spot).

Graining

Graining occurs when strips of rubber are torn from a tire and then immediately stick back onto the hot surface of that tire. This creates an uneven, irregular surface that makes braking and cornering difficult while reducing grip and traction.

Graining typically occurs when the tire is sliding laterally and is more common with the softer tires. It is often a short-term problem, as the graining goes away once the tire wears and becomes uniform again.

Blistering

This is what happens to a tire, or part of a tire, when it overheats, which leads to the creation of air bubbles inside the tread.

Brake bias

Ratio of brake pressure applied to front and rear brakes. Too much rear brake will tend to cause the car to spin; too much front brake and car will not turn in. Can be adjusted on the steering wheel.

Watch this video for insight into the crazy complicated F1 steering wheels 

Downforce 

There is a limit to how fast a car can travel on the ground without the car taking off. This means that all cars need to generate a downward force sufficient enough to keep them firmly on the ground.

Downforce can be generated from the air flowing around the car and will increase as the speed of the car increases.

Think of downforce as the opposite of lift for an airplane. The wings of an airplane help it to take off into the air. The same wing, if installed inverted on a car, can make the car stay firmly on the ground. As the speed of the car increases, the wings will press the car more firmly into the ground. This force that presses the car to the ground is called downforce.

BONUS: Why is it so hard for F1 cars to pass (“overtake”) each other?

All of the downforce created by the aerodynamic engineering on F1 cars also creates a lot of wind turbulence in the wake of the car. This makes it extremely difficult for F1 cars to follow closely behind each other. The dirty air also chews up the following car’s tires and overheats the brakes.

Track evolution 

Lap times get faster as the weekend goes on, particularly during qualifying. This is partly due to the natural evolution of the track. Unless it rains, there is more rubber going down when everyone’s running a soft tire and braking harder, which naturally makes the track quicker. More laps around the track also cleans the track of dirt and dust, which also provides for more grip and faster speeds.

Put simply, more laps on the track = more rubber on the track = more grip = faster speeds. This is also referred to as the track being “rubbered in.”

Safety Car & Virtual Safety Car (VSC)

The safety car comes onto the track during a race when the Race Director wants to reduce speed for safety reasons - for instance, after an accident when there are marshals on track clearing away debris.

According to the regulations, the safety car enters the circuit “whenever there is an immediate hazard but the conditions do not require the race to be interrupted.”

The safety car's job is to limit the speed of cars on the race track so that workers can come out and pick up any debris or crashed cars.

Note: if conditions are bad enough, the race will instead be “red flagged.” A red flag means a race suspension, and all cars will return to the pit lane. The race is effectively paused.

Red flagged conditions can occur due to weather (e.g., heavy rain), or a crash so bad that marshals cannot safely clear the debris or evacuate the driver with cars still circling the track.

Under a safety car, on the other hand, the drivers continue to drive around the circuit, and each lap completed does continue to count towards the lap total of the race.

During a safety car period, cars slow down and no overtaking is allowed until the drivers receive a green flag, indicating that the race has been resumed. Where a red flag pauses a race, the idea of the safety car is to “neutralize” the race by keeping the cars in the same order.

This means that the only strategic consideration during a safety car period is whether or not to pit.

Teams often use a safety car period to take a chance and make “cheap” pit stops (i.e., pit stops with less time lost, as all the cars are going slowly).

While less time will be lost in the pits due to the reduced on track speeds, cars do still lose track position when pitting under a safety car.

The gamble here, especially with a VSC, is not knowing when the safety car period will end. On the other hand, teams may opt to skip a pit stop and gain track position over a pitting car.

In modern F1, race neutralization via Safety Car is done in two variations.

The traditional SC Period, where the Safety Car actually goes out on track and collects the entire field behind it to form a slow-running queue; and

the Virtual Safety Car, where the drivers are simply required to run sector times that are over a specified Delta, effectively slowing them down.

The VSC is imposed in cases where there is a double waved yellow sector (i.e., a hazard on the track), but the situation is not so bad that the actual safety car needs to come out. 

The VSC lap time is roughly 30 percent slower than what the FIA considers a standard racing lap, which means positions on the track will remain the same, but all cars will be slower. In theory, the gaps between the cars should remain the same, thus preserving a gap that a leader may have built up throughout the race. 

In an actual safety car scenario, all of the cars get physically bunched up following behind the safety car and the gap they had to the car in front and behind is erased. 

Tyre / Tire Compounds (called "tire" below, sorry I'm from the US)

A basic tenant of F1 tires: warmer tires = faster tires. This is why you see cars weaving behind a safety car - the driver is trying to generate enough heat in the tires to keep them in the optimal temperature window. 

There are 5 slick (or dry weather) tire compounds used during an F1 season. These are on a scale of softness (C5) to hardness (C1).

Harder tires are more durable and therefore last longer during a race; however, they also provide less grip, which results in less speed. 

Softer tires are much less durable, but they provide a lot of grip and are much quicker than hard tires.

During an individual race weekend, Pirelli, who manufactures all Formula 1 tires, will choose three of the five tire types to be used during the weekend. The tires used will always be next to each other on the spectrum (e.g., C2-C4)

As of the 2023 season, drivers receive two sets of hard tires, three sets of mediums, and eight sets of softs per race weekend.

It is up to the team to manage the tires throughout the practice and qualifying sessions to ensure that the driver has a good tire selection to use during the actual race.

The important thing is to ensure that drivers have at least two different compounds available to be used during the race.

Wet weather

During a race where it rains, drivers do not have to follow the same tire compound rules that apply in dry conditions.

Wet weather tires have treads on them to help displace the water (as opposed to the smooth, or “slick” dry weather compounds), but this gives drivers less grip and therefore, less speed.

“Full wets” vs. “intermediates”

Intermediates are the most versatile wet weather tire, and may be used on a wet track with no standing water, as well as a drying track surface.

Full wets are most effective for heavy rain, and can displace 85 liters of water per second per tire at 300 kph. 

F1 rules require drivers to race on at least 2 different tire compounds during a race. This means that drivers are required to stop at least once during a race to change their tires. 

Pit Stops

Terminology 

Box:

Box can be used interchangeably with “pit” and is used by drivers and their race engineers to indicate that the driver needs to come in for a pit stop. It is derived from the German word boxenstopp, which means pit stop.

It is usually used twice for maximum efficiency, which is why you will often hear the race engineer telling their driver to “box, box.”

Double stack:

Double stacking means to pit both cars from the same team on the same lap. The leading car will go into the pits and get their tires changed, and immediately afterward, their teammate will repeat the process on that same lap.

The basic logic behind pit stop strategy is newer tires = faster tires. This is because newer tires provide more grip.

However, the obvious problem is that pit stops take time. While the changing of the tires themselves is incredibly fast (F1 pit stops generally take 2-4 seconds – 4 seconds is considered slow, 10 seconds is catastrophic), teams also have to account for time spent in the pit lane. 

Drivers must slow to 60 kph in the pit lane, and will be fined for speeding. Time spent in the pit lane, including the stop itself, averages about 22-23 seconds, although it varies by the circuit. 

The number of times a driver stops will depend on the weather, track conditions, their rivals’ strategies, and potential car damage or punctures.

Undercut vs. Overcut: The strategies

The undercut: An undercut involves making your pit stop earlier than the car in front of you.

This puts you onto fresher tires, which means you will have a pace advantage compared to the car you are chasing.

The idea behind the undercut is to use these fresher tires to overtake the driver ahead of you, who will theoretically be slower due to older tires.

If it all goes to plan, the car which pits earlier will quickly pass the car it was chasing, and then use those fresh tires to build up a big enough gap between themselves and their rival to ensure that they can’t be caught.

The overcut: Instead of pitting before the car you are chasing, the overcut involves staying out while your rival pits, thus gaining track position.

The overcut is powerful on tracks where tire warm up is a challenge.

The idea behind this strategy is to build up as large a gap as possible while the car that pitted first struggles to warm up its new tires. Ideally, the resulting gap will be large enough that the car which stayed out will still come out ahead after its own stop.

This strategy is risky and is used less frequently than the undercut. 

Look for drivers trying the overcut who have started the race on hard tires. Hard tires are more durable and last longer, so the idea will be to gain track position over everyone else when they pit before you as you continue to run on the hard tire. This strategy is all about tire management.

Qualifying

F1 qualifying is broken up into three parts: Q1, Q2, and Q3.

In the first phase of qualifying, called Q1, all 20 drivers have 18 minutes to go out on the track and set their fastest times. At the end of that period, the slowest five drivers are eliminated, and the remaining 15 cars go through to the next phase.

In Q2, the remaining 15 cars have 15 minutes to set their fastest times. Again, at the end of the segment, the slowest five cars are eliminated, and the top 10 go through to the final phase of qualifying, Q3.

In Q3, or the “top 10 shootout,” the top 10 drivers have 12 minutes to set their fastest times, with the driver who sets the fastest time claiming pole position. Pole position starts first, or “P1” on the grid 

The times set in qualifying on Saturday determine the starting positions on the grid for Sunday’s race. 

In certain races in 2023, F1 is trialing a new qualifying format. 

The change, called “Alternative Tyre Allocation,” is meant to reduce the number of tires used during a Grand Prix weekend in a modest attempt at environmental sustainability.

During qualifying, if conditions are dry, the teams will be limited to a specific set of tyres for each of the three rounds. Teams will be required to use the hard compound during Q1, the medium compound during Q2, and the soft compound during Q3. If race officials declare track conditions to be wet, the restrictions will be removed.

Tire Strategy

Specific tire strategies vary by:

The new sets of tires available to the driver for the race

This will be determined by which and how many sets of tires the driver runs through in the practice and qualifying sessions that weekend.

If the race is expected to be a 1-stop or a 2-stop

At circuits where track position is important (e.g., Monaco), drivers will prefer a 1-stop. At circuits where overtaking is possible, drivers may opt for a 2-stop, as this provides additional opportunities to fit faster, fresh tires. 

Expected rates of tire degradation (this also affects whether the race will be a 1-stop or a 2-stop).

Weather 

For example, it always takes longer to heat up the harder compound tires, and cold weather may make heating up even soft tires tricky. If tire warm up will be difficult due to track conditions, this will make the outlap after a pit stop slower than a car running older, warmer tires. In these conditions, the overcut is powerful!

Expectations of a safety car.

Certain tracks (e.g., Baku) see a lot of crashes, and therefore at least one safety car per race is almost expected. Teams may take this into account when planning tire strategies. Of course, the exact timing of a safety car cannot be anticipated.

Example:

At the Jeddah Street Circuit during the 2021 Saudi Arabian GP, almost all of the drivers choose to start the race on the medium tire. Pirelli expected that the ideal pit window for the medium tire would be between Lap 21 and 26, at which point it was expected that the preferred strategy would be a 1-stop, with drivers switching to the hard tire and making the hards last to the end of the race.

These "pit windows" are determined by rates of tire degradation - in other words, Pirelli did not expect the medium tire to last more than about 25 laps in Jeddah before experiencing tire failure. At Jeddah, the soft tire had an exceptionally high rate of degradation, and would require too much pace management on high fuel to be a starting tire. On the other hand, the warm-up on the hard tire would make the first few laps difficult for anyone in the pack, which is why most drivers started on the medium tire.

Parc Fermé

The term parc fermé is a French phrase that translates literally as “closed park.” It traditionally refers to a secure area at a circuit where cars are checked over by scrutineers for legality and safety.

The checks (both random and routine) include weight and dimensional measurements, which are carried out using laser technology, as well as equipment checks in which homologation labels are viewed to ensure parts are pre-tested and meet relevant standards.

No work can be done on a car in the parc fermé zone.

In modern F1, parc fermé also refers to certain periods of time during a Grand Prix weekend when the teams are restricted in the work they can do on a car.

Teams are free to modify their cars as they wish (within the rules) right up to the start of qualifying. As soon as the green light goes for Q1, all cars are placed under parc fermé conditions from then until the start of the race.

How do parc fermé conditions work?

The basic principle of parc fermé is that, once in a parc fermé period, the scope for the teams to alter and adjust their car is very, very limited. It’s a cut-off point beyond which they can repair and prepare but not fundamentally alter their race car.

As defined in article 34.6 of the Sporting Regulations: “a Competitor may not modify any part on the car or make changes to the set-up of the suspension whilst the car is being held under parc fermé conditions. In the case of a breach of this Article the relevant driver must start the race from the pit lane.”

The idea is to ensure that the driver qualifies and races in the “same car.”

Before each car leaves the pit lane for qualifying, the teams will provide the FIA Technical Delegate with a set-up sheet. This is the exact set-up they must stick to for the rest of qualifying and the race.

Teams can do certain maintenance work under parc fermé conditions, including replacing parts like-for-like, but they are not allowed to modify any part on the car or change the suspension set-up.

If parc fermé conditions are violated, the car has to start the race from the pit lane.

What are teams ALLOWED to do during parc fermé conditions?

The FIA regulations list more than 20 different specific modifications that can be made to the car while under parc fermé conditions. Anything not on the list requires special written permission.

How does parc fermé affect strategy?

The parc fermé rules force teams to run the same setup in both qualifying and the race. 

“Race trim” refers to a setup more conducive to running a full race, whereas “qualifying trim” refers to a setup dedicated to getting that one perfect lap. For instance, one setup may result in a faster lap, but at the expense of a higher rate of tire degradation. 

Depending on the circuit, teams may choose a setup with more race pace, or a setup focused on qualifying performance. 

The easiest example is Monaco, where overtaking is nearly impossible. Therefore, teams will sacrifice race pace in favor of a setup that favors qualifying speed, because starting position matters much more in Monaco than at a circuit where overtaking is possible.

Car Setup

Race weekends feature 3 free practice sessions (2 on Friday, 1 on Saturday morning), 1 qualifying session (Saturday), and the race itself (Sunday).

The free practice sessions starting on a Friday are typically used to run the different tire compounds and a variety of car setups to allow the teams to collect data. This data will then be combined with simulations and data from previous races to decide the optimal tire strategy and car setup for the race.

Gearboxes and Power Units

Certain parts must be used for a set number of races before being replaced, otherwise the team will be penalized. This penalty will be handed out whether the change required is down to a crash, a breakdown, or for performance.

Gearboxes must be used for at least six races before they can be changed. If a team needs to change one before that, they face a grid penalty. 

The “power unit” is more complicated as it is split into different component parts. Each driver is only permitted a certain number of each element within the power unit during the season. Exceeding a power unit allocation results in grid place penalties, forcing the driver to start the race from further back. 

What elements make up a Formula One Power Unit? 

The FIA distinguishes between six elements in a modern F1 Power Unit (PU).

At the very heart of the PU sits the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE). It’s a structural member of the car, connecting the chassis to the gearbox.

The second element is the turbocharger (TC), which increases the density of the air that is consumed by the engine, thus giving the engine more power.

A modern F1 engine is a hybrid engine, with two electric machines recovering and delivering energy.

There’s the Motor Generator Unit-Kinetic (MGU-K), which harnesses kinetic energy when the car is braking, and the Motor Generator Unit-Heat (MGU-H), which is connected to the turbocharger and harnesses excess energy from the exhaust.

Both motor generator units convert their respective energy sources into electrical energy which can then be used to propel the car. The electric energy is stored in the fifth element of the Power Unit – a big battery pack known as the Energy Store (ES).

This intricate system of different components is controlled by the sixth and final element, the Control Electronics (CE).

Each driver is allowed no more than three engines, three motor generator units-heat (MGU-H), three turbochargers, two energy stores, two control electronics, three motor generator units-kinetic (MGU-K) and eight sets of engine exhaust systems.

If the driver uses more than the assigned number of any one of the elements, they are handed a grid place penalty. This is 10 places for the first request of each part, 5 for the second, and a back of the grid start if more than 15 are amassed.

Fuel

F1 cars can use a maximum of 110 kilograms of fuel per race.

However, they don't always fill the car with that much fuel. This is because the more fuel a car starts with the heavier it is, and the more lap time it costs.

F1 fuel rules also state that “competitors must ensure that a 1.0 litre sample of fuel may be taken at any time during the event.”

Note: The Stewards are notoriously harsh when imposing F1's technical regulations. For example, Sebastian Vettel’s P2 was taken away after the conclusion of the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix following a breach of F1’s fuel rules. The FIA were unable to take the required fuel sample from Vettel’s car.

If necessary, drivers may have to adjust their driving if the telemetry indicates that the car will not have enough fuel to make it to the end of the race.

Fuel saving such as lifting off the throttle before the braking zone going into corners (“lift and coast”), as well as changing settings in the car to decrease fuel consumption are possible strategies, but these stop the drivers from being able to go flat-out.

High downforce vs. power circuits

Ideally, teams want to design cars that produce as much downforce as possible to boost speed through corners, but the challenge is to do this in such a way that doesn’t result in too much aerodynamic drag.

More drag will slow a car down in a straight line, and consequently more power is needed to overcome this resistance and achieve the best possible acceleration and top speed. This equation is why some cars perform better at certain types of track than others, and why it’s impossible to build a car that’s tailor made for every single grand prix.

What’s a high downforce track in F1?

A high downforce track is a circuit where most of a car’s performance over the course of a lap can be attributed to the aerodynamic downforce it produces rather than the power of its engine. High downforce tracks will have fewer and shorter straights than low downforce tracks, with more of an emphasis on corners.

What’s a power track?

A power track is more or less the opposite of a high downforce track. Most of a car’s performance is tied to the power, acceleration, and top speed made possible by the engine. Long straights and short, slow corners are typical features of power tracks.

Flags

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tumblr isn't a social media it's actually my bed and u all are my plushies watching me talk to myself

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people are saying do it scared, but you also gotta do it alone. you'll miss out on so much you want to do if you wait til someone will do it with you. do it scared and do it alone.

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I love doing nothing, what I don't love is the inevitable overthinking that comes with doing nothing

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Children who grow up dealing with their own shit alone crave so much but ask nothing and never

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legitimately from ages like 12-25 i thought everyone was exhausted to the point of suicidal depression and i was just bad at handling it. kids the normal amount of suicidal ideation is NONE and if you don't physically recover by sleeping you should see a doctor

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x

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“wtf is wrong with you”

you mean like today or like in general?

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god’s strongest soldiers are girls who are constantly overwhelmed by everything. and also girls on the first day of their period

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Full circle.. 😂❤️🦎

2016—> 2023

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↳ TO DANIEL RICCIARDO AND HIS RETURN BACK TO F1

FOR ANYONE WHO THOUGHT I LEFT...I NEVER LEFT. JUST MOVED ASIDE FOR AWHILE.

in / spo / ra / tion

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(Un)Lost: Goodbye

Pairing: F12022/3!Grid! x Fem!Driver!oc

Warnings: DNF’s, angst, a little bit of love, episodes of anxiety, Seb’s retirement, harsh words.

“Welcome to the last briefing of the season. Is everybody here? All right”

I was sit next to Lewis, both of us in the back of the room. Everybody seem happy today. Except me, I wake up with a strange feeling, everything looks normal. My dad is here with me, Lando and I are going strong, but I can understand this.

“You’re okay? You’re not smiling today” Lewis asked

“I feel off. I have a feeling” I looke at him, almost the same as that day in 2021 after his race “You’re the one who looks odd”

“This used to be my favourite place, not anymore. And If you have a feeling, make it a good one”

“I will”

“Smile, after the race I’m gonna take you to the cheesecake factory”

“Promise?”

“Promise, baby” He hug me and smile “Lando is throwing knives at me through his gaze“

“Oh, that’s normal, just wave at him” We did it and Lando start walking to us “Uh, run Lewis”

“What was that?” Lando kissed my cheek

“Nothing my love, just talking about food with Lewis” He hold my hand

“I’m gonna start working as a bodyguard from now on”

“Oh my... Also I have a weird feeling”

“Why’s that?” He looked at my, those green eyes screw me over

“A feeling of losing, I believe”

“You’re not the first in this WDC but you’re the one in my heart, love”

“That’s enough. I love you”

“To Pluto and back”

“Radio check”

“What a voice. It’s fair that you sing to me, Adam. Considering that this is the last race. I mean, sadly we’re not world champions but we did pretty good” I started to put on my gloves and check the steering wheel

“You have to wait ‘till the end of the race. I have a unique voice, kid”

“Oh wow, I’m gonna race as fast as I can then” We laugh

“Just do it safely”

“No promises, I live for wins and podiums”

The same feeling of this morning came back to me. It’s not normal anymore. I’m on P4 and Lando on P5. I turned my head a little and saw his face, I waved to him, but the real thing is that I want to jump out of the car and run out of the circuit, something is about to happen, something bad, as bad as death

5, 4, 3, 2, 1. It’s lights out and away we go

LAP 1/58

“What a start for the last race of the season here in Abu Dhabi, turn one and Max Verstappen remains as race leader and...oh the McLaren prodigy Charlotte just pass Charles Leclerc, even she’s number two this season we never missed to get impress by her”

LAP 21/58 

“Can you check the tyres, please? I felt something in turn 6″

“Copy”

Curently I’m P6, a safety car was deployed after one of the Alfa Romeo just lost their engine. The race has been good, the feeling is there. Lando is P3 at the moment, hope we can have this podium together.

“Box, box, your tyres are cooling too fast”

“Copy, set a record on this one”

LAP 47/58

“This race is getting more excited, Charlotte Robyn-Jones is leading the Abu Dhabi GP, but what is happening?... She just go straight on turn 11, she doesn’t sound good on that radio with her engineer”

“I can’t control my breaking, I might crash and...”

“The Mclaren driver spin and go straight to the barrier, we need the marshall go to her and a red flag has been deployed, all the cars has been called to the pits and we don’t have any movement on her”

“I see blood... I wanna vomit ... help ...please”

“Charlotte, stay calm, stay still, marshals are on their way”

“Can you please tell Lando that I’m sorry to ruin the race... I don’t” 

“Stay still Char... you’re going to be...”

“No, I...I see blood running down my nose and I wanna... Everbody hates red flags and I hate them too and I hate not being world champion and I hate not to tell Lando that I love...”

“Charlotte? Can you hear me?” Adam look at Zack in the eyes, it was like everything and everybody stopped, they don’t want to thin that your last radio message was heard from everybody ... everywhere.

All the cars started entering pits and on the big screen the image of the marshals and the safety care destroying the halo to get you out was horrific.

Carlos was the first to aproach Lando who look lost looking at the screen. The british wanted to cry, he believed in your words of joy and happiness everytime you say that’s their moment to perform better, but, early that day you had a bad feeling. Almost all the members of the teams surronded outside their garages to see how they took your body out of the car.

You were passed, like a sleeping baby, this time like a nightmare, your suit have blood around your left leg, your visor broken, your eyes closed. They put you on the floor and a white large tent was put above you, that was the signal to know that your heart stopped and they have to start moving fast before the worst.

“Is she...?” started Pierre looking at Carlos

“Don’t finish that phrase man, we don’t wanna...” He tried to talk but then Lando started crying and his intentions were clear, he wanted to be next to you, hold your hand, beg you to fight, beg you to stay, say goodbye and don’t ruin it, not again.

“Lando...Lando no” Max and a few other aproach to the driver to help him stay in the garage, avoiding the image of you.

“Leave me. She can’t be dead, man. Put in my damn shoes, imagine that is Kelly or Daniel, one of us” Max’s eyes looked glossy to see his friend looking so broken. Your dad hug Lando, who as much as the driver wanted answers. He knows that his daughter is a fighter, strong but at the end, maybe his wife was starting to call her daughter to be by her side

“She’s going to be ok” He said to Lando. On the big screen the tent was opened and your body was taken to the ambulance, your helmet gone and an oxygen mask arounf your face.

“She’s out... we have to go and... and...Screw this race...We don’t race as one anymore”

“Muppet, they’re going to cancel the race, we can go” Carlos guide Lando to change his fireproofs and go to the hospital. At this point Lando knew, just as you, something bad happened.

“Carlos?” Lando asked when they were in the car

“Yeah?”

“It’s just, I will never accept her loss. I will accept I will be living with it, until I take my last breath and I’m reunited with her again”

Until then

“You can’t make that public. What is wrong with you?”

“Man, the moment we signed our contracts, we know that this could go on a public record. It’s almost fair to the fans and friends”

“No, it’s not. What about his dad? And you? We can’t go through this all over again”

“Lando, please. His dad gave us his consent” Lando sit in the back of the room. A small conference room when the drivers and team principals we’re going to watch a video made by you, every driver has one but considering the circunstances, nobody wanted to remember that tragedy. And a couple days later, everybody around the world could watch this video too.

When I die, give what is left of me to children and elders who hope to die. If you need to cry, cry for your brother and sister who walk down the street next to you. And when you need me, hug anyone and give them whatever you need to give me. I want to leave you something, something better than words or sounds.

Look for me in the people I've known or loved. If you can't tell me, at least let me live in your eyes, and not in your mind. You can love me more by letting the hands touch the hands, letting the hearts touch the hearts, and letting go of the spirits who need to be free.

Love doesn't die, bodies do. So, when all that's left of me is love, give me.

I want to make sure, you’re fine, ‘cause right now I’m living a life where I don’t know what would I do If you’re not in there anymore

You must be proud of yourself. Despite everything you've been through, you're still here.

You are very strong. You have overcome things that others can't even imagine. You thought you wouldn't make it and you got it.

You will do it again. Keep living the life you want, not the one that others expect. And feel proud to be the way you are.

You must be proud to challenge yourself every day, to find yourself when you think everything is lost. You wake up wanting to continue. Even if you have an abyss in front of you, you do everything you can to be well.

You fight for yourself when no one else does.

You are someone worth fighting for.

And If this is the last time, I never meant to say goodbye this way. To my family, dad, you know that mom is gonna take care of me. To the Sainz’s, thank you. To my grid family, this happens, just remember all those memories that we built together, even If you have your eyes full of tears, you know that my legacy has been written. To Lando, you know that this is the hardest part of the job, I love you and I’m sure that maybe in another life, we will last longer, I was lost without you and now I found my place. I’ll waiting for you in our next life. Goodbye for now.

“Hello Charlotte, me again, hope you’re not bored of me” Lando showed a side smile

“The world stopped turning the day you died. I felt it. In my heart. In every fibre of my being. I felt it. The sun stopped being warm. The night stopped being cool. When you died, the world as I knew it did too. I did too.”

Lando started crying looking around the cemetery

“Everybody has changed. Carlos lost his sparkle and has a photo of you in his motorhome and as his lookscreen. Daniel has your name on his helmet, he said you still helping him on his decisions, Alex stayed with your dad for two weeks, he felt so lost that we cried together just talking about you. Your dad is doing well, he moved to Madrid to be closer to the Sainz, they begged him to do that.”

“You’ll always be my number one, Charlotte. I wasn’t with you holding your hand ‘till your last breath, I spend days in your hospital room, just waiting. When they told me you were gone, I screamed, I cried as loud as I could, I halfway hoped that If you could hear me screaming on your way to heaven, you would turn around and come back to me, but you never did”

“It’s been weeks and many people call me everyday, checking on me, I’m gratefull but I came to realize that the reason why it’s so hard to let you go is because this goodbye to you has to let go to a version of me that you got to know so well and at the same time, even If I could go back, I wouldn’t belong there anymore, not without you. I cannot accept to have a teammate that is not you, to just look at your pictures, full of joy and passion and then, I remember that my house is empty, no more hugs, no more kisses, no more you”

“And even I know that you’re not coming back, I’m happy for share all the things that make you happy, for get to know you and for how gratefull I’m with time for allowing you and I to live in the same lifetime. I’ll love you in this and as many lifetimes we have”

Taglist: @evans-dejong @omgsuperstarg @bibissparkles @hoely-maria @mochimommy2002 @noope306 @eugene-emt-roe​ @80sloverry​ @rens-daylight @honeydanny​

part one

part two

part three

part four

#lewis hamilton #carlossainz #lando norris #daniel ricciardo #Max Verstappen #george russell #alex albon #charles lecrelc #Pierre Gasly #yuki tsunoda #Zhou Guanyu #valtteri bottas #fernando alonso #Lance Stroll #esteban ocon #formula one x reader #Formula 1 #Formula One #Red Bull Formula 1 #mercedes formula one #f1xfemaledriver #F1 2023 #f1 x you #f1 imagine #f1 #f1 x y/n #ferrari #mclaren

[12-seconds-to-live]

What If?

Pairing: F1Grid2021! x reader driver!

This is the story of how neither Max Verstappen or Lewis Hamilton became F1 Champions in 2021. 

A girl did.

“What does it feel to be the villian of this season?” “This villian is going to be a world champion”

Abu Dhabi, december 12th - 16:30

"Are you scared?” 

Tik tok, tik tok

I was able to hear the clock tickling on my motorhome. 

A breathe

The eyes of George looking at me

“No, I’m not”

Yes, you are

“You got this and If you don’t...” I sigh

“Please don’t  finish that phrase”

“Sorry, it’s just...”

“I know, there’s a lot on the plate but you know. I don’t have many options right now”

George take my hand “You’re really talented and the best option is winning and you’re making the impossible, like, in a Williams. You’re more clever that all those who want to see you fall. And for next year, did they called you?”

“Not yeat, I guess they’re waiting for the race”

“They’ll look like fools If they don’t call” We share a small laugh

“Thank you for this year, Mercedes is lucky to have you, Lewis will” He smiled

“I’ll still see you from the other side” We stand from the sofa and share a hug “Stay afraid, but do it anyway. What’s important is the action. You don’t have to wait to be confident. Just do it and eventually the confidence will follow”

Abu Dhabi, december 12th - 17:50

"Radio check"

"Loud and clear"

"We are all with you... whatever happens at the end, you're our champion, Williams is back thanks to you and George"

"Thank you, I need to hear that"

"Formation lap in one minute"

LAP 35/58

"Gap at 0.4 behind Lewis. So let’s just…"

"Why is Verstappen pushing me off-track"

"Yeah, yeah copy we aren´t happy with that. They're investigating"

"I'm gotta go menu dash position two. Tell them that he can't have the position back"

LAP 45/58

"Hamilton 26.8, 26.8. And let us know about the tyres for a Safety Car"

"How many laps left?"

"13 when you cross the line, 13 when you cross the line. Gap to Hamilton at 13.9"

"Copy. I'm ok with a set of hards. Do we have a chance?"

"I know you do. Stay still kid"

LAP 50/58

"And we’ve seen Norris with a front-left puncture, so just be careful on the kerbs"

"So we think the problem might be just turn 15, turn 16"

"I’m off kerbs"

"Okay, copy"

"Lewis still has free air"

"The gap is seven seconds and there’ll be eight to go when you cross the line"

"Copy. Status of Lando?"

"He's out of the car and well"

LAP 58/58

I crossed the line and saw all the fireworks over the finish line. I felt different, something like never before, not like winning in Monaco or Monza. I'm a world champion, the first woman of many.

I watched the people in the crowd weaving at me. I heard the screaming over the radio and while I was slowing down I felt tears runing down my face.

"I'm absolutely speechless. YOU DID IT! Thank you, we love you. Our world champion!"

"Oh, my God yes! Yes, yes! Oh, my God! Oh my God!"

"Y/N! I TOLD YOU SO! You are the world champion, the world champion!"

"GEORGE!? This is ours! WE DID IT!

"You absolutely deserve it, kid. Even if you're not going to stay with us next year, we owe you everything! What a year working alongside you"

"They haven't called so..."

"Are you kidding? The news dropped before the race. You're going to be alongside Max next year"

"No freaking way!"

"We are so proud of you. We always will"

"Oh, my God guys. I love you so much. From my teammate, my race engineer and everyone at the factory"

"You have driven like a champion all year. You deserve that. We needed a bit of luck. You got it. You made it happen. And we love you. We absolutely fucking love you" said George and the whole screaming in the garage was getting louder

"It is unbelievable guys. Can we repeat this If you guys want me in the future?"

After the whole podium celebration with Lewis and Max, one thing was clear. Max didn't win his first championship and Lewis lost his eight. My phone was blowing with messages from social media and my family and friends. But my eyes we're locked with Anthony Hamilton chat.

I knew that Lewis wasn't ok. He hugged his dad and even I can't see his face, he cried. He remains stronger on the podium but I can't look at him in the eyes.

I walked to the Mercedes motorhome. Toto was talking to George and stand up at the moment he saw me.

"I'm sorry"

"You don't have to. You drive so well this season that all of us knew that maybe we could lose"

"Oh. Did you guys talk?"

"Yeah, a few words. We have time"

"I'm gonna see him, it's just... I don't know"

"Go, y/n"

I knock at his door and his dad pat me in the back and let us alone. Lewis was laying down in the sofa with a towel covering his face. When he heard the door closing he remove it.

"Hi" I said

"Hey" He smiled

"I'm not going to make dumb questions, just, I'm happy of how this season went. You're been in the sport longer that I've been alive and even if the feeling of losing it's here, don't let it stay. You're still eveeryone's champion, even mine"

I sit down next to him and he took my hand

"I wanted you to win, you know?"

"You what?" I..." I gasp

"Yeah, you've been so amazing. You have the hunger of a champion and now that you made it, well, you're my idol now"

"Lewis..." I felt that I was going to cry

"Don't cry, baby. Go celebrate. I'm fine, I still more seasons ahead to beat you" I smiled to him and give him a hug

"Let me know when you're in London. To spend a day with you, all right?"

"That's a promise"

He hugged me again and I leave the room. A few people of Mercede's staff were around and congratulate me. As I was walking to my car to go to the hotel, I heard a text.

A thank you from Lewis.

Yeah, he's going to be back.

And maybe in the end ... We are all superheroes.

Each of us with a tragic back story

Specific sets of attributes

Some of us fly

Some of us read minds

And maybe some of us-

Are stronger than others,

We all have potential.

I believe the only difference

Between us all is ...

Who will stand up and fight?

#lewis hamilton #Mercedes Amg f1 #mercedes formula one #Formula 1 #Formula One #formula one x reader #Red Bull Formula 1 #Max Verstappen #f1 imagine #f1 x oc #Esteban Ocon #George Russell #Lance Stroll #mclaren #charles lecrelc #carlossainz #ferrari #Pierre Gasly #yuki tsunoda #Zhou Guanyu #valteri bottas #daniel ricciardo #formula one x oc #formula one x you #oscar piastri #lando norris #lando norris x oc

[12-seconds-to-live]

f1 lockscreens

[12-seconds-to-live]

On February 7, 1979, Pluto crossed over Neptune’s orbit and became the eighth planet from the sun for twenty years. A study in 1988 determined that Pluto’s path of orbit could never be accurately predicted. Labeled as “chaotic,” Pluto was later discredited from planet status in 2006.

Pluto Shits on the Universe by Fatimah Asghar

@f1blrcreatorsfest week four: poetry

[12-seconds-to-live]

“Seb is the only guy on the grid that I get Christmas cards from. […] He personally writes them as well. He wrote something in French, saying that he wishes me well in the new team and maybe I’ll speak some more French at the end of the year. Thanks, Seb, if you’re listening”

— Daniel Ricciardo, Renault Q&A (via rain-in-five)

[12-seconds-to-live]

(Un)Lost: ‘Till the end of the line

Pairing: F12022/3!Grid! x Fem!Driver!oc

Warnings: DNF’s, angst, a little bit of love, episodes of anxiety, Seb’s retirement, harsh words.

DRIVE TO SURVIVE S.5 EP. 10

END OF THE ROAD

“So, What are your plans after Abu Dhabi?”

“I have a few things in mind, I’m officially unemployed. What are you gonna do without me?”

“Not much, for now we hired Charlotte as class clown, she’s is pretty funny. The other day she talked a lot about you”

“What did she say? Hope she didn’t reveal any secrets” Daniel showed a smile

“She looked sad, you know why?”

“Yeah. She’s the type of talent you saw on the track and your mind already click on what’s coming next, like, the next big thing. I told her that the events that happened on McLaren aren’t gonna affect our friendship”

“So, you’re good with the decision?”

“This is a sport that If they’re not happy with you, you’re out, you just have to remember the good days, enjoy the butterflies. I told her that she’s so powerfull, to surround to people who cares about her and then continue with their feet on the ground and let go the idea that you have to be the best or do the most to be worth something”

“You’re a good friend and we’re gonna miss you. What’s the next thing for you?”

“I don’t know. I guess we have to wait ‘till next season”

“Hello Charlotte”

“Hello Netflix, what’s up?”

“Good, how’s the media treating you?” I moved my head as saying no

“Like always, I haven’t been near my phone the past week, so Lando has to knock everyday at 5 am to wake me up”

“That’s a hard job” I laugh

“It’s discipline, I force him to go to the gym with me. Just to start the day with energy”

“Ready for the last race? This has been a incredible season, better that Hamilton’s”

“I don’t like to compare but yeah, the expectations has been high, for everybody, I also have a lot of responsability with me, Alex too. The team has helped us in a way that we feel in another level, even If we’re not longer be together, I’m gratefull and I hope to race aginst them next year. I mean, there was always a 50/50 situation and a lot of rumours and criticism but I just focused on what I wanted rather that follow people bad advices”

“Who gave you a bad advice?

“Daniel, he just told me to tell them F.E.A.”  

“What’s that?”

“Fuck them all”

“Inspiring” I laugh “And who gave you a good advice?”

I started thinking “Probably Carlos, he’s been helping me a lot, he just said don’t crash, pretty good advice”

“Hey, just wanted to wish you good luck”

“You too” I kissed Lando on the cheek

“I don’t like it there” I laugh and hug him

“Carlos is looking in our direction and his mom just took a photo”

He laughs “Family dinners are going to be fun with me in there”

“Funny, go get ready, love you”

“Love you too, my world champ”

“Let’s see” I looked around and the Sainz and my dad we’re smiling “Weirdos”

My get closer to my dad and hug “You’re mom is so proud of you, I know you’re going to be world champion, zero doubts, mind focus and have fun. Even if this is your job, remember those days when everybody just said that a girl, my little baby, can’t do it and now you’re proving them wrong, you always do that. We’re so proud”

“I love you dad. Mom’s still here” I said with tear on my eyes

“She is” I gasp “Carlos, let’s go. See you after the race” 

“Good luck, my favourite sister” I formed an “O”

“Ana and Blanca are gonna get so jealous, haha. See you on the podium or at the party”

“A little party sounds good” He laugh and I walked to my garage. All of the members looked happy, I took my balaclava and helmet and walked to the circuit to get in the car.

God, if this is my moment, please make it a good one.

“Radio check”

“Copy, ugh, I’m going to miss your voice”

“I already have the file of your radio in your inbox”

“You’re definitely the best race engineer in the world”

“Doing my best for you. Six minutes to formation lap”

“Copy, I remember that you’re going to McLaren with me, ups”

“Haha, nothing like a chaotic driver ‘till you decide to retire”

“Welcome to the last race of the season, here in Abu Dhabi. The story is repeating itself. Max Verstappen is going to be fighting for this year title with Charlotte Robyn-Jone, today as a Williams race driver and tomorrow she’ll be officially part of McLaren. There’s a lot going on in both garages. Red Bull has set up everything to a back to back and Williams has done the same for the girl. She’ll be the greatest, first woman to get through all the categories and win, hope that she do the same today and mark history”

Everybody is ready in their positions after the formation lap.

Five seconds to breath

Four seconds to be gratefull

Three seconds to blink

Two seconds to feel a champion

One second to be one

“And it all comes down to the last lap and no, Verstappen has braked and Charlotte has passed the Dutchman with ease and what a girl, she is three more corners away from being the first, mark history AND SHE HAS DONE IT, SHE DID IT. We have the first woman world champion in formula one. Remember her name, Charlotte Robyn-Jones is a world champion. Oh my God, I’m so happy”

“YEAAAAAAAAH, WE DID IT”

“YOU DID IT. What a race. We are so proud, Your mom is happy for you. This has been your year, champ” Everybody can hear the screaming coming from the Williams garage

“Thank you to all the members of Williams, I’m so happy. I hope we have a party tonight ‘cause everybody is invited. Call Kimi, Adam” 

“I don’t have his phone number and...”

“But I do, look for my phone. Oh my God, freacking champion. YEAAAAH”

Charlotte parked in front of  the P1, Max on P2 and Lando on P3. Due her excitement, she took off her helmet and balaclava faster than ever and run to Lando

“You did it. I’m so proud”

“So proud to deserve a kiss”

“As many as my girl want” And that kissed marked one of the most shared photos of the new crowned champion.

Little thing nobody knows. Happiness never last long.

Taglist: @evans-dejong @omgsuperstarg @bibissparkles @hoely-maria @mochimommy2002 @noope306 @eugene-emt-roe​ @80sloverry​ @rens-daylight @honeydanny​

part one

part two

part three

#lewis hamilton #Formula 1 #Formula One #Red Bull Formula 1 #mercedes formula one #alpine #alpha tauri #Max Verstappen #sergio perez #daniel ricciardo #George Russell #Pierre Gasly #Esteban Ocon #lando norris #Zhou Guanyu